BJP feud stalls process to set up civic body panels

New Delhi: Infighting and factionalism within BJP has stalled the process of formation of about two dozen special and ad-hoc committees in the three party ruled Municipal Corporations. These communities were supposed to be formed five months ago. Most interestingly, a senior party office bearer said that these were not formed due to other organisational engagements in the last couple of months.

Every year after the election of mayor in April, three statutory committees and 23 special and ad-hoc committees in each of the three municipal corporations are formed to oversee the functioning of different departments.

The three statutory committees are standing committee, which is the key decision-making body of the Municipal Corporations; education; and rural committee.

A senior party office bearer told this newspaper that formation of these special and ad-hoc committees did not get attention or priority by the state leadership as everyone was more focused on other organisational works.

“For the last two months, everyone was busy in the membership drive, which started on July 7 and concluded on August 20. Before that, in April and May, everyone was more interested in the Lok Sabha polls. Providing better civic amenities by forming these committees is not in the priority list of the Delhi BJP state leadership,” he added.

Repeated attempts to seek the reaction of Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari and party media in-charge Pratyush Kant turned futile. The senior Congress councillor and leader of Congress party in North Delhi Municipal Corporation, Mukesh Goel, alleged that there is policy paralysis in the civic body in the absence of these committees and the way the ruling BJP is functioning, it seems these special or ad-hoc committees are not going to be formed this year.